The adorable cover illustration caught my eye. I have a soft spot for German shepherds. Fluffy and Baron is based on the author’s “many happy memories of my childhood pets, who really were best friends.”

Many of our students have pets and they also have friends. I find that Laura Rankin creatively blends the two interests into this special story of friendship. I love the character qualities expressed. The story begins with a warm, loving scenario …

… until three wild ducks reside on the farm’s pond in the spring.

“Fluffy watched, waddling back and forth – toward the newcomers and then back to Baron again.”

Laura’s illustrations make your heart melt as Baron deals with being alone. Children can connect as they have experienced loss of friends who have moved, divorce, death.

This book has several places that infer the character feelings and mood of the storyline. You also have to fill in the gaps between event with the passage of time. For primary students, this book is ideal for teaching story elements, the climax mountain, and internal character conflict.